Decorative skulls, chandeliers part of decor at this new restaurant. Guess the theme

One of the newest restaurants in Downtown Lee’s Summit offers upscale Mexican food and drinks in a nearly 100-year-old, newly renovated building. Named for the Spanish word for skull, Calaveras has a sophisticated Day of the Dead theme featuring black, white and silver decor, as well as crystal chandeliers and decorative skulls.

The new restaurant is owned by Josh, Jeff and Lanni Edwards, who also own Smoke Brewing Company, located next door to Calaveras. The three purchased the building in late 2019, just a few months before the pandemic shutdown put the project on hold.

This pause gave co-owner Lanni Edwards nearly three years to work on the renovation and unique decor, and the restaurant opened in early November 2022.

“We took a 100-year building and completely gutted it and moved everything around,” she said.

The building had previously housed The Peanut, which had been located in downtown Lee’s Summit for a number of years before closing permanently.

Lanni Edwards said Calaveras was designed to serve as the place to go for a special date night as well as a spot for a casual lunch, dinner or happy hour.

“We really wanted something where you can wear leather pants and a pretty sparkly sweater, or jeans and a T-shirt,” she said. “We wanted a restaurant where you can get dressed up if you want, and still stay in Lee’s Summit.”

The restaurant’s menu includes tacos, handhelds, apps and desserts with entrees such as burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas and pork green chili. The bar features craft cocktails, wine and beer.

Josh Laufketter, a former sous chef at Kansas City’s award-winning Bluestem restaurant (now closed), serves as the chef at Calaveras.

Customer favorites so far have included the black-and-white burrito with queso and a mole sauce, the chicken chimichanga and the scallop mole verde, Lanni Edwards said. Popular drinks include Oaxaca Nights, the classic margaritas and palomas.

The 5,000-square-foot restaurant space also includes a patio in the back that seats around 70 people. Edwards added that they are planning an additional bar in the back, next to the patio, featuring a variety of flavors of frozen drinks.

Calaveras is located at 219 S.E. Main St. and is open 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesday through Saturday.

Frost Coffee and Tea, opens in downtown

Frost Coffee and Tea, located at the corner of Southwest Main and Third streets, opened Nov. 18 in downtown Lee’s Summit. In addition to coffee and tea, beverages include hot chocolate and hot cider. Also available are bakery, breakfast, lunch and dessert items. Frost is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and offers a 10-person conference room available for rental (with the first hour free).

Frost Coffee and Tea is owned by Stephen Stricklin, owner of Wise Wealth in downtown Lee’s Summit. This location was once home to Jack Frost Donuts, a one-time Lee’s Summit landmark open roughly during the 1960s through the 1980s. Donuts are currently served at Frost Coffee and Tea on Fridays and Saturdays. According to Frost representatives, the donuts are from Holt’s Do-Nuts in Grandview, rumored to use the old Jack Frost recipe.

Now open and coming soon

▪ Jazzy B’s, a barbecue has moved to a new spot and is now open in Lee’s Summit at 320 SW Blue Parkway. It specializes in barbecue, seafood and Cajun food. call 816-272-0654 or visit jazzybsdiner.com for more information.

▪ Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is scheduled to open soon at 636 N.E. Missouri 291, Lee’s Summit.

▪ 7 Brew Coffee plans to open a location in late January at 1430 N.E. Douglas St., Lee’s Summit.

▪ Slow Bar will open a Lee’s Summit cafe in late summer. No location has been announced.

Lee’s Summit restaurant closings

▪ Sabor Latino, located at 22 Southwest Third St., closed its doors at the end of December after serving Latin American cuisine in the downtown space for several years.

▪ The Sonic Drive-in, also located on Third Street, recently closed after numerous years in downtown Lee’s Summit. According to a representative from Sonic’s corporate office, the drive-in is expected to reopen in a new location although the location and reopening date are not yet finalized.

▪ Krab Kingz at 320 SW Blue Parkway in Lee’s Summit closed.

Cheers to a dry January

Diametric Brewing Company knows many people go “dry” in January. The brewery’s owners are using this as an opportunity to showcase their inclusive environment and welcome everyone with zero-proof cocktails.

“We’ve worked hard to create a space where everyone in our community feels welcome,” said Sean Householder, Diametric Brewing co-owner, in a written statement. “As an extension of that, we have thought about how we can continue to create a space for people to feel welcome here.” For more information, visit diametricbrewing.com.

Kansas City Star reporter Joyce Smith contributed to this report.